


Dancing Past The Point Of No Return

by ovijiaboardz



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, Angst, Gen, Implied Relationships, Kyubey is Awful, Magical Girls, Mentioned Koizumi Hanayo, Minor Nishikino Maki/Yazawa Nico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-11-02 08:50:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ovijiaboardz/pseuds/ovijiaboardz
Summary: Tired little laughs, gold lie promises,We'll always win at this, I don't ever think about death!





	Dancing Past The Point Of No Return

**Author's Note:**

> this is hardly a consistent story, and it doesn’t really go anywhere. I got the idea 4 a crossover, but w the other wips I have and school, I didn’t want to start a hardcore project, so I wrote it in small bits and pieces, explored the idea, had some fun, and kept it at this. I may go further with this someday, I may not.
> 
> I wouldn’t mind feedback of course! I love hearing from you guys <3

The universe was filled with a fine balance of hope and despair, wishes and curses, miracles and tragedy. Without despair, the world would be rid of hope. The world has been like this since the beginning of time. The universe needs a fuel, it needs this balance to stay intact. The species known as the incubators had an easy solution - magical girls. 

Magical girls followed this logic perfectly. The system was rather simple, really - they’d get the chance to make a single, life changing wish. In exchange for the wish, their soul would be protected and their body would become a vessel of hope, fighting against the enemy, the embodiment of despair and curses in their purest form - the witches. The catch? Witches are born out of a magical girl. Magical girls run on hope, so once their soul gem is clouded over by despair, it hatches a witch for the remaining magical girls to kill. 

New contracts are formed all the time, just as often as the witches are killed. Through this process, the balance is maintained and the universe thrives. Incubators don’t have a solid understanding of human emotions besides the use for them. They’re certain that a couple lives are a fair price to pay to maintain order. They never make the contracts without consent, either, so they’re sure the humans should see them as fair too.

Honoka Kosaka was a happy, carefree girl with big dreams. Once she wanted something, once she was fixed on it, nothing and no one could stop her. She acted impulsively on her heart and emotions alone, and to be fair - she’d never be where she was today if she wasn’t like that. This girl started an idol group to bring in students and raise her school ratings. Lots of people stood against her, but she managed to do it. Honoka was stubborn, impulsive and she never knew when to stop. This is both her greatest weaknesses and her best qualities.

After it’s fourth snooze the alarm blared again, the obnoxious device shaking, quivering and making a racket. Honoka opened her sleepy eyes and glanced at it with a feeling of dread. She’d just snooze it one more time, she reasoned. She’d grab a granola bar for breakfast and be on time this morning!

Her eyes glided across her messy room; reading her posters, wandering across the dirty clothes on the floor, and stopping on the clock. Startled, she leapt up off the bed. “Oh no, oh no!” She cried out in anguish, her azure blue eyes widened. “Not again! I’m already five minutes late!”

She grabbed the first dirty uniform she could off the floor, ran a brush through her tangled ginger locks, slipped on some shoes, shrugged on her backpack, and sprinted out of her house without bothering to grab breakfast. Her mother watched her leave from behind the counter of her bakery. “Have a nice day?” She called out, knowing it was a lost cause. Her sister didn’t even notice her go - she was too occupied with staring at her reflection in the mirror and trying to figure out the right way to suck in her stomach. 

She flung open the door to her first period, panting. “I… I made it!! Good morning Umi! Good morning Kotori!” She greeted her best friends with hugs. The teacher flashed her an icy glare, and Kotori gulped. 

“Honoka… we’re about to,” Kotori whispered, cut off by the teacher.

“Grab a pencil and sit down. We’re taking a pop quiz! If you so much as look at your friend, you’ll get a zero for cheating,” the teacher snapped. She scribbled something down on her clipboard using a red pen. “You’re also late. If you get one more tardy this quarter, you’ll get a detention. Please be more careful, Miss Kosaka.”

She nodded. “Sorry…”

After class, she had to face a force scarier than any tardy could be. 

...

Umi Sonoda has earned herself the unofficial title of the responsible one by now. She was always the one who had the lecture her friends, she was the one who trained them and kept them in line. She was harsh and could be strict from time to time, but it was because she cared. After being friends with Honoka so long, she knew where the girl struggled and just wanted nothing more than to see her succeed.

Kotori Minami was also a close friend of Umi’s ; well, she and Honoka were her first real friends. They were the ones who encouraged Umi to come out of her shell in grade school, and the three have been buddies ever since. Once Honoka began u’s, Umi often coached the nine members. Eli taught them how to dance, and helped her out from time to time, but Umi was the unofficial leader. 

She didn’t particularly mind taking on this position. She wanted to see them succeed and knew she’d have to push the girl for that to happen. She had high expectations of herself too, putting her all into everything. She is committed to her diets, faces her fears ( especially her stage fright), she works out regularly, she’s been studying for school and aims for the best grades she can, and altogether puts her all into everything she does. She wants to encourage others to turn and do it too. It was a lot of pressure, but Umi could handle it.

“No objections,” Umi insisted. “This is the routine you need to follow. You need to be able to dance on the stage with a smile on your face, and that takes a lot of stamina!”

Eli nodded in agreement. “She’s right. You need to be in shape to do your best at the dance routines.

Kotori was a sweet girl, always ready to provide emotional support to her friends. She was frequently daydreaming, her head constantly in the clouds. Along with Nico, Kotori plays a big part in designing the costumes for the group. Fashion design is a passion of hers, as well as her job as a maid. 

Kotori has a heart of gold and treasures her friends dearly. 

Her mother is the principal of the school, so she’s often getting inside information. Kotori loves her friends to death and wants nothing more than for them to be happy. From time to time, she feels lonely. She feels like she lacks talent, incompetent. When she’s offered any wish she’d like - she’s torn. She has a lot to wish for. Would it be selfish to want more talent, to want to be prettier, when she could wish for world peace? For pollution to disappear? 

A lot of people wanted what she had - a loving mother, stable family, close friends, meals every day, and talent for fashion design. Kotori counted her blessings, making the guilt that followed being offered such a wish inevitable.

If it wasn’t for Honoka’s impulsiveness, none of them would be here right now. If it wasn’t for her curiosity, her determination, Kotori and Umi would’ve missed out a lot, really.

Honoka’s gotten them far. Kotori and Umi have been through so much, and manage to bond overtime because of it. These two were the first members of u’s. Umi wasn’t a fan of the idea at first, but without her they’d never be here. Umi assisted with the training, helping them exercise. Kotori assisted in costume design. 

Honoka’s first performance with these two was to a practically empty auditorium, watched by a tiny, scattered audience. Over time, they managed to recruit more girls and end up with nine members. The groups initial goal was to save the school, and their second goal was participating in love live, a competition for school idols everywhere.

As usual, Honoka’s overworked herself, so the latter didn’t work out. However, the school was restored and with a new love live in the works, the tight knit idol group is determined to make it this time. Besides, staying relevant wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially to maintain enrollment numbers.

...

Nozomi Tojo was a mysterious girl of many secrets. From her signature smile that implied she knew more than she let on, to that strange deck of tarot cards she carried, the ones that she allowed to guide her decisions. She named the idol group ahead of time, u’s, predicting the nine members it’d need to be completed. She watched and cheered them on from the sidelines, guiding and mentoring the girls until it was time for Eli to join. That’s when Nozomi took her spot on the stage as well, completing the group with the nine members she knew it needed.

However, Nozomi had a secret beyond anything anyone could expect, outside the wildest rumors. She was a magical girl, an adolescent who formed a contract with the incubator in exchange for a single witch. She was contracted into a tough world, fighting dangerous witches, mere manifestations of humanity’s darkest nightmares and deepest anxieties in a colorful form. 

Nozomi truly was the all knowing, since she’s seen this before. She was the only one who knew the truth. The truth of the magical girls and the tragedy of their existence, the grief seeds and the final form they took when they’re despairing.

Eli did it first. She was the only one with a contract, fighting for a wish she regretted. Nozomi was the only one she could ever bear to share it with, and Nozomi knew that her time powers gave her an advantage - she knew what would happen, and she understood every girl of u’s very well. She loved them all, and knew someone was bound to save this world, see the truth of the incubators.

She’s seen tragedies again and again. She’s seen friends disappear. Singing her heart out on stage with the others held a whole new meaning for this girl. It reminded her what she was fighting for. Freeing Elicchi. Freeing u’s, releasing them from the tricks of the bushy tailed alien.

Honoka stood out the most. The girl was impulsive, she was foolish; but she was also brave. Determined. Little did Nozomi know, she’d be the one who’d save them all in the end.

...

Sonoda Umi was perfect for this. Archery had made her aim perfect, Kotori made her cute outfits, and all the working out had her fit and perfect for battle. She was built to be a fighter, saving the city children and adults alike from their nightmares, unknowingly fighting and slaughtering the dark, despairing remnants of the broken magical girls before her. 

She’d often take the others out for practice battles to help prepare them. Umi couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to any of her friends, so she worked them until they were so sore in the morning they could hardly get out of bed. She’d often insist on fighting particular witches in groups. She had the girl’s strengths and weaknesses mastered, so she’d pick and send different people out to deal with different witches.

For example, Rin was athletic and flexible, but her strategy was weak. She’s good in battles with stronger, less coordinated witches. If Rin was being sent out, Umi would send someone with strength in brains and strategy, such as herself, Maki, or Eli ; a senior magical girl who Umi herself admired. Eli was a dancer, making her graceful in combat as well as strategic, not to mention gorgeous in transformation.

...

Maki wanted to be a musician. Her family wanted her to continue the traditions and be a Doctor, fulfilling their last dreams and making their dead ancestors proud. 

Maki was always home late, and she was lying when she said she got a tutor. Instead, she spent her late afternoons in the empty music room, playing and singing to herself, a short escape from a reality where her future is already decided for her.

This all changed when she met the fluffy white animal who would give her magical powers in exchange for a wish. Too good to be true, it had to be. She decided to humor herself a little and play along.

“I wish I was allowed, no - not just allowed, supported. Encouraged. I wish my parents would let me pursue music,” she blurted out, eyes fixed on the white creature. She was probably dreaming, so she wouldn’t mind staying asleep a little longer. Getting a taste of perusing music without being pressured into following in anyone’s lost dreams or continuing the family legacy. 

Morning never came, and the feeling of dread got stronger within Maki Nishikino as she realized it wasn’t a dream at all. It wasn’t a prank either. Her mother supported her dreams, and encouraged her to be a musician. It seemed genuine enough, but she couldn’t help but miss her mother. She felt awful, wondering how it worked. How much was her mother being controlled? Could she think for herself? Was this how far she’d go for a dream?

She sang her heart out by day, and fought witches by night. It didn’t take the other girls long to find her out, and she tried to discourage some of them, especially the impulsive Honoka, from typing herself to a contract. She felt unfulfilled, like the dream she’d had and worked for since a child was fulfilled, yet she still felt a certain emptiness. She was well aware that her mother was controlled like a zombie, but dwelling over that would do no good.

Maki Nishikino was a fool. She could play tough, but the stronger she tried to act, the faster her grief seed blackened. She tried everything she could to stopit. Nozomi watched in despair as she blackened and formed her witch form - a musical witch that isn’t what it looks like on the outside. 

...

Hanayo and Rin were eating in their favorite cafe when they overheard Nozomi and Eli talking about witches, despair, curses, etc. “What do you think they’re up to…” Rin wondered, shoving a big bite of rice in her mouth. “It sounds like something from a fairy tale!”

“Dunno,” Rin said with a shrug. 

...

Nozomi let out a hopeless cry of anguish as she stared at the lifeless body of her best friend, the girl she loved with all her heart. She only wanted to live a life with Eli, tell the others about what they had and have a happy future together. That white animal ruined everything, and it tore u’s apart. 

She had to stop it, no matter what it took. She loved Eli Ayase, she loved her so much, and she loved the other seven girls of u’s too. She wanted to put an end to this suffering, and find a world where they could pursue love live without the weight of all this unneeded suffering. She missed the days when they weren’t worried about life or death, hope and despair, or witches and curses. She wanted the days where they could worry about silly, meaningless teenager things! Diets, what to wear, grades, exams, silliness that didn’t mean much and wouldn’t cost them their happy lives.

Her wish had been simple; she wanted to start again. She wanted to hold onto her memories and go back to the beginning to warn the others. Set Eli free. Rid the city of that awful alien with its wicked temptations that lead to the death of so many loved ones.

Not even the cards could save her now. This was her fight and her fight alone - no one could sympathize with her. No one could help, and no one could understand. The training, casual every day moments, each shared laugh and the concerts where they forgot all of this was the only thing keeping the poor girl sane. 

...

How heartbreaking. Maki could write a song about this, but it wouldn’t be uplifting like her usual ones.

...

Nico’s rosey eyes went wide and her face went deathly pale as she stared at the entropy in front of her eyes, the musical labyrinth created by the remains of her worst rival and best friend - same difference, really. Just the other night, she was thinking she nico nico needed to be honest with herself, and that she might like Maki. Now the awful reality of what she had gotten herself into with a stupid and selfish wish was in front of her eyes.

“Was that… did that used to be Nishikino…” she sputtered, her face going sickly colors. She broke out into a cold sweat, her surroundings blurring and tipping around her. Nico felt like she was about to puke. 

“Yes, it is. This is the fate of all magic girls,” Kyubey informed her, it’s blank strawberry eyes fixed on her curiously. 

“Why didn’t you tell us this? I have to kill my friend! That's awful! You tricked us!”

It cocked its head ever so slightly. “Oh? You simply never asked. You agreed and you made a wish, isn’t this a price to pay?”

She knew it now. She loved Nishikino, but it was too late to tell her. All that she could do now was kill Maki, before Maki killed her.

...

“There’s so much I could wish for!” Honoka exclaimed to Kotori, staring at her piece of paper with frustration. “One isn’t enough. I want a giant cake! I want to be the top idol group! I want a pony!” 

Kotori giggled despite the situation. “Remember, you can’t go back… so only make a wish if it’s something you are willing to trade life as you know it for.”

Honoka groaned. “That’s so dramatic… and kinda scary! Wait,” she paused, changing the subject and instantly recovering. “I got it! I’ll wish for a thousand wishes. Or a million wishes! How about infinite wishes that I could make whenever I wanted!”

“Don’t you think things will get a little boring?” Umi said, raising an eyebrow. “Besides, I doubt that’s allowed.”

“I agree with Umi,” Kotori mumbled hesitantly. “You see.. what’s the point of /living/ if you don’t have to work for anything? You can’t appreciate and recognize the small stuff and blessings without going through hardships first…”

“This is way too much pressure,” Honoka declared, stretching dramatically before plopping her head onto the hard wood table. “I’m taking a nap.”

...

“I want to be famous,” Nico insisted. “Nico wants her name all over the city, stamped on billboards! She wants to be on interview ques! Nico wants to be the top world idol, and bring smiles to the faces of everyone!”

Kyubey nodded his tiny head. “That’ll be a powerful wish,” he commented. “I can make it happen.” With the swish of his tail and the wiggle of his ears, Nico’s dreams came true. 

Except… it wasn’t all fun and games. A week in, she was exhausted. She couldn’t handle all this attention. Some of her fans were creepy. She had stalkers, her name littered through the tabloids. Her private life was nonexistent. All her grades dropped, and she couldn’t even save Maki. 

A third year couldn’t handle this. No one could. Besides, she had nothing left to fight for. As her friends disappeared, her dreams were fulfilled and she was miserable ; people grew disappointed and rumors spread - her grief seed rapidly clouded jet black.

...

Umi ran a brush through her long black hair, letting out a sigh as she pushed her window shut, cutting out the moonlight and changing into her nightgown. She was supposed to be the responsible one, and her friends were risking their lives while she sat back here telling them not to. Even Maki, who she thought had some common sense, played into the aliens empty promises. She was dead now. So was Nico. Nozomi initially way u’s was designed to have nine members, and two of those girls were dead. 

Eli and Nozomi were magical girls preparing for a storm the two of them couldn’t handle alone. Honoka, despairing and irrational, was considering joining them. Everything was going so well before this damn alien came in. Now their lives were falling apart, these high school girls with their whole lives ahead of them were dropping dead. 

Umi had no idea how she was still sane after all this, but she had to be the responsible one. Eli was counting on her. 

Just as she was getting situated, her phone rang. It was Kotori. She picked it up. 

“I can’t decide, Umi,” Kotori urged, and Umi could tell she had been crying. “I should’ve done this sooner! I can’t think for myself, and talent wise I’m-“

“Don’t let anyone pressure you,” Umi said. “Personally, I think you should stay out of this and stay safe - but the decision is yours, and yours alone.”

“You’re just using them, aren’t you?” Umi demanded as she watched the girls run off to battle. 

“Oh? I granted their wishes,” the incubator answered. “So that makes it fair game.”

She watched Maki run off into the distance, followed by Eli and Kotori. Their colorful outfits disappeared into the thick fog, and the labyrinth constructed itself around them, not that Umi cared at this point. She clenched a fist. “Kotori didn’t want to contract, she wasn’t ready!” She knew Kotori since childhood and knew how indecisive the girl could be. It was very unusual for her to make a life changing decision without consulting her friends. “She only made the contract when she did because Honoka, her dearest friend could’ve died! You pressured her! You took advantage of her indecisiveness! Eli showed up quickly but you still told her Honoka would die if she didn’t, of COURSE she made a last minute contract!”

Umi can’t remember the last time she was this enraged. She had spoken to Nozomi earlier and knew the dangers. Nozomi reached out to her, the responsible, normal one, and told her everything. After everything she’s seen, Umi was ready to believe anything at this point.

“The conditions don’t matter,” Kyubey insisted, blinking. “She still agreed to become a magical girl, and accepted my contract. I granted her wish, so now she must pay the price.”

Umi could hardly take this, especially after Nozomi told her everything. She was tempted to contract herself just so she too could leap into the battle to protect her friends. Honoka wanted to as well. She had to stop her. She had to stop Kyubey. Someone had to save everyone.


End file.
